1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems for heating and cooling homes, and more particularly, to a modular fireplace assembly in which the customary heating and cooling units used in a home are incorporated and integrated in a fireplace so that maximum utilization of the heat developed from burning wood in a fireplace is achieved for heating the home.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A number of arrangements and structures have previously been proposed for recovering a portion of the heat developed from the burning of wood in an open hearth fireplace, and using such heat to provide auxiliary heating for the home, thereby minimizing waste by reducing the thermal energy which is lost by venting the fireplace through a stack or chimney to the atmosphere. In some types of systems which have previously been proposed and used, air adjacent the firebox and located over the level at which the wood is burned is simply heated and then vented directly into the room where the fireplace is located so that the radiant heat from the fireplace is supplemented by convection, and as a result of the heat exchange with air located adjacent the upper portions of the firebox. More recently, it has been proposed to place an air plenum structure adjacent the firebox of the fireplace to heat a large volume of air which is then circulated upwardly into a duct system used to transfer the heated air to other rooms of the house remote from that which contains the fireplace.